Medved: HVO played crucial role in survival of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Deputy Prime Minister and Veterans Affairs Minister Tomo Medved said in Posušje on Friday that the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) played a crucial role in the survival of Croats and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He said the HVO also made an important contribution to Croatian forces’ operations to liberate Croatia.

Certificates of appreciation were presented to 29 Home Guard regiments and two HVO battalions during events marking the 32nd anniversary of the Association of Volunteers and Veterans of HVO Herzeg-Bosnia.

The certificates were presented in recognition of their participation as part of Croatian forces in operations that were vital to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and to the survival of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Without the HVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina Would Not Be What It Is Today”

“Without the Croatian Defence Council, today’s Bosnia and Herzegovina would not exist in the form in which it exists today. That is a fact,” Medved said at the ceremony.

He said the anniversary was also an opportunity to discuss the right of the Croatian people to equality and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He added that equality must be a fundamental right, saying that “there can be no stable and just Bosnia and Herzegovina without the full constitutional and actual equality of Croats as a constituent people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“Take Part in the Elections”

Medved said the Croatian government was continuously supporting projects and measures aimed at improving the position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These include enabling students from Bosnia and Herzegovina who follow the Croatian curriculum to visit Vukovar and take part in a competition for the best story about the Croatian War of Independence.

He called on all Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina to actively participate in upcoming elections, saying they should decide for themselves who represents them.

“Elections determine the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. So do not miss the opportunity to use your vote to decide who will represent you in the future, and do not allow others to decide your fate,” he said.

Amendments to Two Veterans’ Laws Coming Soon

Medved also referred to a debate scheduled to take place in the Croatian Parliament next week on amendments to two laws concerning the pension rights of Croatian war veterans.

He said the amendments are aimed at increasing pension payments and will cover more than 200,000 Croatian war veterans. Since members and war casualties of the HVO are also beneficiaries of these pension rights, the amendments will apply to them as well, he added.

He called on veterans to continue preserving their unity, saying it was “our greatest strength.”